Proximally Based Fasciocutaneous Flaps of the Lower Leg for the Coverage of Soft Tissue Defects

Abstract

Coverage of soft tissue defects remains a challenge in trauma surgery. The purpose of this article is to present different plastic surgical methods with proximally based fasciocutaneous flaps. The flap pedicled on the saphenous or the fibular nerve is dissected over the center of the calf and dissected along the nerve. The obtained skin flap is rotated into the defect and fixed without tension. Wound closure of the donor site defect is performed by direct suture or by meshgraft coverage. Pedicle graft is also covered by meshgraft. The current study reports about 8 men and 3 women treated by a proximally based neurovascular flap. In 9 of 11 patients the flap healed without any complications. Necrosis with loss of the flap was not observed. In two patients partial necrosis of the flap was found which could successfully treated by meshgraft coverage. Proximally based fasciocutaneous flaps enable reliable treatment of soft tissue defects of the lower extremity even in patients with artherosclerotic changes with justifiable operative expenditures.

Key words

Soft tissue defect - neurovascular flap - surgical flap

References

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